Perch, Papes, and Rooftops
by cecilia.clare
Summary: She's always been watching him. It's actually kind of creepy. When Specs finally climbs up to her on the roof to try and get some answers from this mysterious girl he gains more than just a friend.


**Low key love this one**

Auburn, she had auburn hair. Everyday she would perch on top of the building, and watch. Watch the Newsies below, watch them because she had nothing better to do. She would watch a specific newsie, one with glasses on his nose. She would just quietly observe from her post on top of the building. She would hope no one would notice her, but one did. The one with glasses on his nose, he would wave to her every day, before he left for his square. She just stayed up there, not moving, always watching.

There was a girl, and she had auburn hair. Every day she would watch him from her perch on top of a building, conveniently located right above his selling spot. She would just watch, sometimes it would creep him out a little bit. Everyday he would wave to her as he started his walk back to the square. That day he waved goodbye and then started his walk back, then he decided to do some investigating. He ran over to the ladder of the building and started climbing, when he reached the top all he saw of her was her auburn hair disappearing down the side of the building. He climbed back down and walked to the square, he walked in over to Tommy Boy.

"Have you seen that girl?"

"What girl?"

"The one on top of the building. The one with the auburn hair."

"I think you're seeing things, Specs." He rolled his eyes and walked out of the square. He sat down, he looked up at the stars to see a girl on top of a building. He stood up and she started to shift her weight. He held up his hand, motioning for her to wait. She relaxed and waited. Specs smiled and ran over to the building, he climbed up the ladder to see the girl was gone.

"Hello?" He looked around to hear a voice coming from the shadows,

"What do you want?"

"Why do you watch me?"

"I observe, you seemed interesting."

"Do you have a name or should I just call you the observer?"

"Annabeth. You can call me Blaze.

"Do you have a family?"

"No, do you?"

"Sorta, I have a Newsie family. You could join if you want." All went quiet for a moment,

"Rather be on my own than with them." Then he saw her auburn hair disappear over the side of the building. Specs ran over to the other side of the building to see her running away down the street. He watched her run away, auburn hair blowing in the wind. Specs wandered back to the lodging house where Tommy Boy was waiting,

"Geez where did ya go? You disappeared on me."

"Oh yeah, sorry." Specs laid down next to Tommy Boy staring up at the ceiling, thinking about the mysterious girl, Blaze. He knew he would see her tomorrow, and fell asleep.

He walked out of the square to his usual spot and looked up to the building and there she was. Perched on top of the building her auburn hair blowing in the wind. He dropped his bag of papers behind the building and climbed up the fire escape.

"Hi." He looked around to see her crouched on top a ledge higher up.

"Hello." He could see her face, her blue eyes peeking out from her hair. She had a skirt that came down to her knees and suspenders on top of her sleeveless gray shirt.

"Why do you always come up here."

"I want to know more about you. You don't talk much."

"You talk too much." She climbed over to a higher spot.

"Why don't you want to join the Newsies?"

"Don't trust people."

"You seem to trust me."

"Don't wreck it." Specs watched as she climbed up around the building perching herself watching him like a hawk.

"Do you want to join the Newsies?"

"Rather be alone than with them." She disappeared down the side of the building. Specs climbed back down the building and sold his papers. Since he got done early, he wandered the streets some looking for Blaze. He walked into Jacobi's and saw her in an apron.

"Blaze!" She rolled her eyes,

"What do you want?"

"Someone's grouchy."

"I'm always like this."

"I see that." She looked over at him,

"Your a newsie right." He nodded his head,

"Let me guess a glass of water." Specs smiled sheepishly and nodded his head,

"You newsies are predictable." She walked over and got his water. She handed it to him and she wandered around wiping down tables.

"So would you like to come to visit the Newsies, just to see what it's like?"

"Rather be alone than with them." She disappeared into the kitchen. Specs drank his water and left still perplexed by the girl. Every day he would come to Jacobi's and the same conversation would happen, he would ask her to join the Newsies and she would always respond, rather be alone than with them. She would disappear into the kitchen. The same thing went on for about a month, and Specs kept pondering the answer, rather be alone than with them. Everyday was the same, perch, papes and Jacobi's. One day Blaze actually came to the square, to see him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Thought if I finally visited you, you would leave me alone."

"You want to come sell papes with me?" Blaze nodded and followed after Specs. There were newsies everywhere, and Blaze froze watching someone then ran off. Specs ran after her,

"Blaze!" Where did you go!" Specs ran through the streets yelling her name. Then he looked up, and saw her sitting on top of a building. He ran over and climbed up the ladder,

"Why did you leave?" she didn't move,

"Is it something I said?"

"You ask too many questions." Specs walked over and sat down next to her,

"What happened? You froze and ran."

"Rather be alone than with them." she got up and left Specs sitting alone on the rooftop, with those words imprinted in his mind, rather be alone than with them. Specs didn't see Blaze for a few days after that, it was like she had disappeared leaving him alone. Specs missed her at Jacobi's and on the rooftops just observing. There was something to look forward too though. The dance at Jacobi's, the one that almost every newsie attended. Specs really hoped Blaze would be there, he wanted answers and a lot of them. Every newsie came dressed in their best, which was mediocre at best to Jacobi's ready for their one night of fun a year. Everyone was around dancing and Specs scanned the crowd for Blaze, he spotted her. He pushed his way through the crowd,

"Blaze!"

"What do you want Specs."

"I was worried about you."

"Gee thanks."

"Why did you disappear?"

"You ask too many questions Specs."

"Why do you always say rather be alone than with them. Do you mean me? Do you mean the newsies? You gotta stop being so cryptic."

"For the record, I'm not being cryptic at all. Rather be alone than with them." she walked into Jacobi's and Specs followed after determined not to be left behind this time.

"Blaze comes on, can we talk about this?"

"What's there to talk about." She walked out of the back with a pitcher of water.

"You just seem upset and friends talk about stuff like this."

"Since when are we friends."

"Since I'm the only person who you seem to remotely like."

"True, but I don't talk about this with anyone."

"Blaze, I know you're hiding something so why don't you just tell me."

"Because I don't feel like talking about it, and I have work to do." Blaze grabbed a stack of cups and walked back outside. Specs dashed out the door after her and followed her around to the tables.

"Blaze, why won't you talk about it?"

"I just don't so stop bothering me about it."

"I just want to make sure you're ok, and if you won't tell me then I can't help." Flora kept quiet and kept moving around the tables.

"I can tell that your lonely so why won't you come to the newsies?" Blaze stopped, frozen in place. She set down the water on the table,

"Rather be alone than with them." She ran away wiping tears from her face,

"Blaze! Wait! Come back!" Specs ran after her, but she disappeared into the setting sun of the streets. Crutchie hobbled over next to him,

"What's wrong Specs?" he didn't answer thinking, the wheels starting to turn. Everything starting to fit into place, like a puzzle putting the last piece into place.

"Rather be alone than with them. It makes sense now!" Specs ran off,

"What!"

"I'll explain later Crutchie!" Specs ran in the direction that Blaze had gone.

"Blaze!" He looked around at the roofs of the buildings, he spotted her figure sitting on top of one. He climbed up to the roof to see her with her knees against her chest, he walked over and sat down.

"I figured it out. What you meant by rather be alone than with them. You were hurt, by someone I know. By a newsie, which means you have a hard time trusting me because I'm a newsie. That's why you didn't want to join the newsies. Because somebody made you upset and made you feel lots of pain. I'm sorry."

"You finally got something right."

"I just don't understand why you won't talk to me about it. That's what friends do, they talk to each other about this stuff."

"If friends talk to each other about this stuff then go ask your pal, Charlie. I'm sure he's already told you everything about me." Blaze got up and started to climb down the building.

"Rather be with you than them." Specs smiled as she left,

"Wait! Who's Charlie?"

"The one with the bum leg." Blaze's auburn hair disappeared over the side of the building. Specs thought for a minute before realizing what she meant. He climbed down the side of the building. He ran through the dark streets back to the square, empty. He ran to the lodging house, he yelled up to the fire escape,

"Crutchie! We need to talk!" Crutchie peeked his head over the rail,

"Come on up, we can talk up here." Specs climbed up the ladder to see Crutchie's smiling face.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Do you know a girl named Annabeth she likes to be called Blaze. Auburn hair, observant, blue eyes, grey shirt." Crutchie froze,

"How do you know her?"

"She watches me, we are friends. She has been hurt by someone in the newsies. She told me to come to talk to you, except she called you Charlie."

"My real name is Charlie. I know her, we used to know each other when we were really little. We got separated one night and I couldn't find her so you found me and brought me to Newsies Square and the rest is history."

"You really don't know anything else?"

"Sorry Specs, I don't know anything more."

"Well thanks anyways." Specs climbed down from the fire escape more confused than ever. But one thing he noticed, when Blaze left the roof earlier. Instead of saying rather be alone than with them, she had said rather be with you than them. It was proof that she was starting to trust him more. Specs laid down on the scratchy newspaper and looked up at the ceiling and thought about all that had happened that day. He thought he had put the puzzle together but then he looked at the puzzle again realizing that there were still a lot of pieces missing. He fell asleep still thinking about his puzzle that was slowly falling apart. He woke up in the morning mind still spinning. He got his papers and walked out of the square. He couldn't see Blaze anywhere, he walked to his spot still scanning the rooftops. He didn't see her anywhere she had just disappeared. Specs didn't see her for a week, everyday he would search the city for her. Scanning for her auburn hair among the buildings. One day her climbed up to the building where they had first met, he sat down and looked over the city. He couldn't find her anywhere, he had looked everywhere. He was about to give up and move on with his life when he heard something behind him. He turned around to see Blaze behind him, he started to stand up but she motioned for him to stay sitting. She sat down next to him and the two of them sat in silence looking out on the city.

"Where did ya go?"

"Anywhere but here."

"Why?"

"To much pain."

"I went to go see Crutchie."

"So that's what they are calling him these days."

"He said you guys got separated one night, and I found him. I brought him to the Newsies."

"I see he hasn't changed."

"What do you mean."

"He lies, just like he did back then. He puts on a smile that makes everyone think he's wonderful. He is a traitor and if you're not careful you'll end up like me. Alone, scared, and forever quiet. Stay away from him before he hurts you as he hurt me." Specs looked over to see a Blaze unmoving lost in her thoughts and memories. She rested her head on his shoulder, the two of them sat in quiet neither saying anything.

"What do you mean he hurt you."

"Charlie won't tell you so I might as well. I trust you Specs. We used to live in Harlem. I found him on the streets, I was six, he was five. We became fast friends, I wasn't always like this. I was a poor little girl, but I was happy, and trusting. I trusted him to watch out for me, if I watched out for him. One night he disappeared no note, no words to me, he just left. I looked for him everywhere, when I couldn't find him after a few weeks I assumed he was dead and I was really upset. Just think to my surprise when I saw him walking around here, ten years later. Alive and well, he hurt me. He left a scared little six year old girl alone on the streets of Harlem. I thought my only friend was dead. Yet he's alive." She paused, Specs rested his head on top of hers,

"I'm really sorry. I don't understand why Crutchie would do something like that."

"He fooled me too. He puts on a smile and fools us all, underneath he is just waiting for the right moment to leave. I always get left, that is why I never let anyone close. He didn't think to tell me why he left, or where he was going, or when he would be coming back. He left me alone, scared, forever silenced."

"Why don't you go talk to him?" Blaze stood up,

"Some wounds just cut too deep." He watched her walk over to the edge of the building,

"Rather be with you than them." She jumped off the side of the building, Specs ran over to the edge, just to see her jumping down to the buildings so close together. Her auburn hair blowing in the wind, Specs still couldn't believe what had happened. How could Crutchie do that to her, he wandered back to the square thinking everything turning, spinning, whirring. He had to find a way to get them to talk it out, Blaze needed to stay in his life. He couldn't let her leave. He got an idea and dashed over to the penthouse. He hurriedly ran to the penthouse and climbed up,

"Crutchie!" he whipped around in surprise,

"Geez Specs, what did ya do that for?"

"I just saw Blaze! She wanted to talk to you tonight, I'll show you where! So will ya come?"

"I guess."

"Great, I'll come to get you in a few minutes." Crutchie nodded as Specs hurriedly climbed down the ladder and ran down the street yelling for Blaze!

"Blaze! Blaze!" he ran around panting looking for her everywhere. He finally spotted her through the window of Jacobi's.

"Blaze!" she jumped almost three feet in the air,

"Goodness gracious Specs!"

"I have a surprise for you!"

"I don't like surprises."

"I know, but will you do it for me?" she turned around to face him, he made a dramatic pout face.

"I hate that." he cracked a smile,

"I know, but really please."

"Fine, my shift ends in five minutes."

"Ok." Specs waited around patiently for her shift to end, and then the two of them ran out Specs dragging her by her hand over to the building where they had met. She started to climb up,

"I'll be right back." Specs ran back to the penthouse,

"Come on Crutchie! We gotta go!" Crutchie climbed down the ladder, and followed after Specs, he tried to move as slow as he could to accommodate Crutchie. After what seemed like forever they made it to the building where Blaze was. Specs climbed up before Crutchie,

"I'm back." Specs walked over to Blaze and grabbed her hand.

"Alright, here he comes."

"He?" Crutchie peeked his head over the ledge to the building. Blaze began to run away,

"Wait, wait, wait." Blaze stopped and looked at Specs as if to say no, please don't make me do this. Specs looked at her as if to say please. Blaze stayed gripping Spec's hand tighter, as Crutchie limped over. He waved a little bit and Blaze shot him a look.

"I'll give you too a minute." Specs began to leave, but Blaze didn't let go of his hand. He walked back over to her,

"I can't do this for you."

"Can you try."

"No, I'm going to be right down there. You can come to see me when you're done." Blaze let go of his hand and climbed over to the next building and sat down and listened.

"It's nice to see you."

"Ten years late." it went silent for a minute,

"Specs said you wanted to talk to me."

"I don't."

"So should I leave?"

"I want to say yes, Specs will yell no. So I guess not."

"What do you want to talk about."

"I wanna know why you lied to Specs."

"Oh yeah, that. I didn't feel like telling him."

"I didn't either, so I just kept my mouth shut."

"Well, I don't have to tell him if I don't want to."

"Oh classic Charlie, just hide behind your sweet smile and every mistake you made melts away. Why did you even leave?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do."

"Like you said if I don't want to tell you something I don't have too."

"I have the right to know."

"Fine, I left because I was scared! You were six, I was five. You couldn't take care of me so I left to find someone that could. I think they did a pretty good job."

"I don't think so, you're still just the same liar you were then."

"I was never a liar."

"Fine you weren't a liar, you were a two-faced backstabber."

"Wow, that's low even for you."

"Says the boy who left a six-year-old girl on her own to think her best friend was dead!"

"Well, what do you want me to say!"

"I want you to not say anything! I want you to leave!" everything went quiet for a minute, time seemed to slow down. Specs listened to hear someone speak,

"I am sorry."

"I'm sure you are."

"I actually am, every day I would think about you and wondered if I could go back. I really am sorry, honest. I hope you can forgive me. Maybe even join the newsies, Specs seems to really like you."

"Rather be alone than with you. Or them, or him." Blaze jumped down next to Specs and tears started to form in her eyes. He pulled her in for a hug, feeling her shoulders heave in and out. He felt her tears spilling onto his shirt but he didn't care. He just wanted to comfort her and be there for her. They sat down and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"That was hard."

"I know."

"Why did you do that to me?"

"Because I care about you."

"I know. I'm still mad at you." Specs laughed,

"Hey! I'm still mad at you." Specs kept laughing and soon she was laughing too. Soon both of them were breathing out heavily, smiles on their faces.

"I'm mad at you, I was trying to wallow and you wrecked it!"

"I know, but it's good to see you smile." the two of them just sat there.

"I'm still upset with Matthew. I can't tell if he really is sorry."

"I know what you think of Crutchie but, I have known him for longer than you. He disappeared from you ten years ago, I met him when I was six as well. He came into my life ten years ago. I know that he isn't like that, that he doesn't just hide everything behind a smile. Did you know he almost lost his life this year?" Blaze looked up at Specs,

"We were striking over an unfair pape raise and he got dragged off to jail. In there he almost died. He is a fighter and a true friend and I hope you can find it in you to forgive him. I really want you to become a Newsie, and if that long time hurt is the only that stands in the way, I promise I'll do anything to help you get that hurt out of the way."

"I really appreciate that Specs, but this is the kind of hurt that I need to heal on my own." She wrapped him in a hug, before she stood up and walked over to the side of the building,

"Ya know Specs, I'll come back eventually. Might be a while but, I'd rather be with you than alone." She disappeared over the side of the building and off she went. Specs just sat there, left with the words rather be with you than alone. Spec's life went on as normal. Papes, friends, newsies, more papes, and waiting, lots and lots of, waiting. Everyday Specs would go to the top of their building and wait for her, always waiting, hoping to hear her footsteps behind him. Life went on without her for almost half a year. It was the morning, and Specs had just made it to the square and the commotion was no different than it was everyday inside the square. Specs wandered around until he found Tommy Boy and the two of them were talking until the square seemed to go quiet. A slight murmur went through the crowd of newsies. Specs heard the whispers of who is she, where did she come from. Specs pushed through the crowd to the front, there was a girl. Her ripped blue skirt came down to her knees, she had a sleeveless gray shirt and black suspenders. She had short auburn hair that stuck out from underneath her cap. She was scanning the crowd and locked eyes with Specs. He froze, she was there, right there, she was back. Specs walked over to her,

"You changed your hair."

"I know." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"I'm glad your back."

"I told you, I'd rather be with you than alone." Specs grabbed her hand and led her to their rooftop. They sat down together,

"You were gone too long."

"Healing takes a long time."

"I wish you could have healed with me."

"I know." It was quiet for a few minutes,

"Where did you go?"

"Everywhere, and anywhere."

"Did ya miss me."

"Yup."

"Will you join the newsies now?"

"I'll consult with my friends." Blaze looked over to the side of the building,

"They say I should join." Specs grinned,

"I think that I don't want to be alone anymore. I think I'd rather be with you than alone." Specs smiled a put an arm around her,

"I know I haven't really been alone like you have, but there isn't anyone else I would rather be with right now."

"Me either." Specs and Blaze, Blaze and Specs. Perch, papes, and rooftops.


End file.
